Progress in Its Grim Race Cannot Erase the Pages of
Romantic History Written in Old Township-Gate City has Been County Seat
of Scott For 113 Years-Name Changed

Gate City, Virginia, a little
town located near the border, is rich in historical tradition and at one
time was known as the gateway to this section of the country, a fact
that but few of this modern age know. Today Gate City seems like an
ancient hamlet slumbering in the mountains, forgotten entirely as
progress makes itís strides through these historic hills, but progress
in itís grim race cannot erase the pages of history that have been
written by the county seat of Scott County, Virginia. These pages of
history will ever be eminent as the generations pass, and Gate City will
be known as the mother of progress in this immediate section.

Scott County was chartered in 1812 and since that time
it has grown by leaps and bounds and is today known as one of the
richest counties in Southwest Virginia. With the chartering of Scott
County, the people were forced to select a county seat from which the
law and government of the county could be directed. At first, Moccasin
Gap, a few miles south of Gate City, was selected and the first court
was conducted in a private home at the Gap. But this court marked the
end of Moccasin Gap as the county seat, and Gate City took over the
reigns which it has since held. This little town has been the county
seat of Scott County for 113 years. An old log building served as
headquarters for the county for several years, but this old log building
was replaced by a brick structure, modern and up to-date for the time.

Patriotic Section

The Scott County section was known to be very patriotic
and for this reason the county was named Scott in honor of Winifred
Scott, American general in the Mexican war. The county seat, now known
as Gate City, was named Winifred bearing the first name of General
Scott. The main street of the city was named Jackson Street in honor of
Andrew Jackson, noted Tennessean known as "Old Hickory". This
county was extremely patriotic in time of war and sent many of its sons
to the Mexican war. In fact, according to records, Scott County has
never shirked during time of strife, itís sons were among the first to
volunteer their services. The county seat of Scott bore the name of
Winifred until 1815 when it was changed to Estelville in honor of Judge
Benjamin Estell, the first judge ever conduct a court in Scott

County. It kept the name of Estelville until 1887 when
it was changed to Gate City. This change was made because it was known
as he gateway of the section.

The county seat of Scott County was known as the key to
business in the county. It was the headquarters of the old wagon trains
that used to run to Lynchburg, Baltimore, Saltville and other cities.
These old wagon trains were the sole means of transportation of freight
in the old days. All of these routes ran directly through Gate City. The
people of the county always made up a wagon train to go to

Saltville,
Va. to bring back salt for the year. It was a community affair and the
burden was transferred each year, different families making the trip.
The train always made the trip early in the fall in order to make sure
of returning in time for hog killing, the majority of the salt being
used to preserve the meat

Wagon Trains

A wagon train also made trips to Abingdon in the
fall to carry the tobacco crop. Abingdon was the biggest tobacco market
in this section at that time.

The wagons that were loaded with tobacco came back from
Abingdon loaded with goods, as the selling then was on the barter basis,
that is getting goods in exchange. The people all wore homespun clothes
and all made their clothes. An old Scott County home was completely
equipped with articles necessary for manufacturing clothes.

Land commissioners and revenue books back as far as
1840, were found in the court house. These books showed that the value
of property was very low, the majority of land selling for about $2.00
per acre. The majority of

land transferred was traded for horses, kettles or some
other commodity, but little money being in circulation in those days.

The big brass kettles, used for evaporating sugar, were
the most highly valued articles. Scott County at that time was one of
the foremost producers of maple sugar and the kettles were used to
evaporate the sap down to sugar. All the farmers that were well fixed
had these large kettles. These kettles were imported from Lynchburg and
the heavy haul bill caused them to be valued very highly.

The furniture, like the clothing, was made by the
families. Several good cabinet makers were present in the county.
Numerous pieces of furniture that were made during that time have been
found, and all were well made. Some of the Scott County Courthouse
equipment were made by hand and this equipment has stood for over 100
years. The work was not of the rough type but very smooth and appeared
as if it had been made by machine.

According to one of the old residents of Gate City, his
grandfather sold a five mile square of land at Nickelsville for a horse
and rifle in 1812. The horse and rifle were valued at $50.00. The
Grandfather stated that he did not

want the land because of the heavy rate of taxes. This
same trace of land is worth many thousand dollars at the present.

Railroad Comes

Scott County's seat moved along in this fashion until
1887 when the Southern Railroad came through the county. The steaming
engines was the first to break the silence of 60 years. This marked the
end of the isolated life with its wagon Trains and opened the future for
Gate City and this section.

The railroad cut through the hills that had been
undisturbed for centuries and the giant locomotives of the Southern
Railway gave this section its first real

transportation. The coming of the railroad was the first
toll of the death knoll for horses. With the coming of the Southern
Railroad, Estelville was changed to Gate City, or the gateway of this
section. Year in and year out this little hamlet prospered. It's county
became richer, it's inhabitants more civilized until today it ranks as
one of the richest counties in Southwest Virginia.

Gate City has not grown much in the last few years, but
it is the central merchandising field of Scott County. Its inhabitants
are prosperous despite the lack of growth. Gate City may today be truly
termed as the gateway of Scott County. It furnishes the inhabitants with
merchandise and other equipment.

With industrial progress sweeping this section, Gate
City has been forgotten, but it will be many years before this little
town's contribution to this section